Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Meet Dipa Basu. She’s a 30 something modern Bengali woman living in Kolkata and a successful writer. After many relationships and breakups, she’s decided that love is a waste of time. She’s always had these phases where she’s been obsessed with different things; like one where old men in dhotis appealed to her. But this time she’s crazy about men with British and Australian accents. She travels to Singapore for a few days, on a quest to have a fun, meaningless fling. Her trip is full of surprises. Will Dipa have her Singapore Fling?

Read an excerpt:

I woke up as the plane landed with that comforting thud. I grew up with that thud. It’s a welcome – and a reminder that a long hot shower isn’t too far away. So I grabbed my suitcase with crazy anticipation in my system because this trip was all about a good change. It was my chance to set things right in my boring 30 something year old life. Romantic love was overrated. I’d had enough of that crap. Time for some unemotional fun. The girls had attempted to analyse me saying, “Dipa, you are sensitive, emotional, and all about feelings. Are you sure about a fling?” I was sure. Sure I cried during most movies. Yeah, I couldn’t stand animal cruelty or injustice to the poor. But this was meant to happen.

My Singapore Fling revolves around a 30 plus lady looking for love in the oddest of places, and that's when cupid strikes!

The incidents and plot are light-hearted and entertaining. The narration was a little drag given the age and the reality of matters, but what mattered was there was a happily ever after!

Love hurts when not loved!

About the author

Sudesna or Sue is the author of short stories, two nonfiction books, and now a YA novella (Just me, the Sink & the Pot, and a collection of short stories (The Adventures of Ernie Fish), a romance (My Singapore Fling) and kid lit (The Cheesecake Thief & Other Stories).

When she isn’t writing or reading, she is busy being a good parent to her adopted cats.

The Woman Who Saw the Future by Amit Sharma

THE WOMAN WHO SAW THE FUTURE

by

Amit Sharma

Blurb

Sapna Vaid has lived with a unique power for a decade; a power that turned her from a timid, wide-eyed, college-going girl into the most influential and powerful Goddess on Earth. Sapna can see the future and saves thousands of people around the world every year through her record-breaking, popular show ‘Lucky People’. The show had given Sapna’s life a meaning and gives her the courage to sleep every night, where death and blood await her in her dreams.

Even though the world is at her feet, the power costs Sapna her personal life. Thousands of prayers that come her way every year are her only solace, her only reason to live.

When a blinding hatred leads to a desperate act of revenge, a single misuse of her great power triggers a reversal of her fortunes. Now she must decide the path she has to take to preserve her unique gift and her fame, even if it turns her into a murderer on the brink of insanity.

Sapna Vaid is an ordinary girl from a middle-class family until disaster strikes, and she loses her brother. There is a vacuum in her family even though they are forcing themselves to go about their regular regime. That's when this girl gets the powers to foresee.

The storyline picks up at the time of her premonition, and that makes her rich and famous when she conducts a TV show.

Success lead to the heartbreak of her college love. But then soon she gets into wedlock with her producer. However, circumstances lead to a bitter split especially since a child is in the middle of this breakup. Life starts going downhill for Sapna since she is enveloped with anger and self-pride mostly due to a bitter divorce.

What did not work for me as a reader: Was the narration.

It was at times stretched and redundant. Each chapter opened with a different point of view based on a different character. That hindered the read.

Overall the plot is intriguing in spite of a theme that has been used many times. Kudos to the author to make the storyline gripping, and entertaining, and that's what makes me recommend this book!

About the author

Amit Sharma’s first fiction book titled False Ceilings has been published by Lifi Publications in 2016.

His second novel titled ‘The Woman Who Saw The Future‘ was published by Readomania in Nov 2017.

Amit has been working in a Software Firm for the last twelve years. His hobbies include reading (but of course), watching world cinema, traveling, digging into various cuisines, cooking, listening to music, painting, blogging, making his daughter laugh and helping his wife with her unnecessary and prolonged shopping.

In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story on ice. It can be an event on ice, a game on ice or a drink on ice. Go where the prompt leads you. Join in the fun at CarrotRanch.----------

French Fry!Pizza!

French Fry!Pizza!

"Yeah! I am getting the hang of it!" Sasha shouted with glee while raising her two hands to get the attention of her instructor who was quite a stretch away.

"Continue!" shouted the elated instructor from a distance, "but make sure your poles are on the ground when you make a wedge or move forward."Teaching always makes me crave for fast food!" murmured the instructor just as her beginner students were focussing on building their ski technique repertoire to become a more advanced skier courtesy the food that is favorite for all.

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Her gentle features, her sweet voice, her sophisticated walk, her style of dressing, her choices were always up to the mark. She was perfection in all avenues thus making me always rely on her for advise, instructions, suggestions whenever life would throw a cannonball at my end. She helped steer my driving wheel to a smooth road even though my foot would rest on the accelerator pedal. Life was comfy. Life was rosy. Life was a homey 'cause I knew even if I would fall I would have her as my gravity blanket which would spring me up emotionally and mentally.
She was my guiding star.

One day I got a call she is gone!

Gone as in Gone!

No Goodbyes!

No last minute instructions on how should I live my life!

Took me days and months to realize that she will not be physically around. Thankfully her voice still echoes within when in plight.

My Mom was my guiding star and today what I am is courtesy her although the fact that she abandoned me on March 12, 2017, still tears my heart.

Whoever said Time heals is not true!

In fact, memories tend to permeate with time just like salt dissolves in the ocean making it highly dense.